Luxury lifestyle bible shows Asia the best of NZ

25 Aug 2014

Luxury lifestyle magazine editors of the Robb Report have shown the best of New Zealand to their Asian readers, following a luxurious tour of the country hosted by Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) earlier this year.

Showcasing products and services available from the most prestigious luxury brands around the globe, the Robb Report is the preeminent source of advice on luxury experiences for its ultra-affluent international readers.

Indochine Media Editor-in-Chief Alex Choma, Publishers of Robb Report Singapore and Thailand editions, and Jamal Shaikh, Editor-in-Chief of Robb Report India edition, enjoyed tailored itineraries with a specific premium focus to ensure they experienced some of the most luxurious activities, food and accommodation New Zealand has to offer.

Neither editors had visited New Zealand before and both came away greatly impressed by their experience of the country and the luxury offering.

Besides the beauty, there's a uniqueness that New Zealand offers to the luxury traveller that I have never experienced elsewhere in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay

Jamal Shaikh

So much so that the originally intended single feature articles on New Zealand have now been divided across multiple editions. Alex Choma's North Island and South Island experiences have already appeared in the Singapore and Thailand editions, with additional coverage expected in their luxury guide, due out later this year.

In June, immediately following Jamal Shaikh's return to India, three top New Zealand luxury resorts - Edenhouse in Nelson, The Farm at Cape Kidnappers, and The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs - gained inclusion into Robb Report's July India edition of the 'World's Top 100 Resorts'. More coverage about Jamal's tour of New Zealand is also expected later this year.

Alex Choma noted the "magnificent nature", "variety of excellent food and wine" and the "many kind, interesting and knowledgeable Kiwis".

On his return home he commented, "There is only one way to get over the Hobbit and sheep cliché: take the next flight to Auckland or Christchurch - you will never regret it."

Jamal Shaikh noted that he left New Zealand "impressed in more ways than one".

"Besides the beauty, there's a uniqueness that New Zealand offers to the luxury traveller that I have never experienced elsewhere in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay," he says.

Justin Watson, TNZ's Director of Trade, PR and Major Events, says, "The feedback we received from these editors, who have each experience the best of the best across the globe, confirms that the premium New Zealand experience is world class.

"The significant coverage we receive in turn confirms that the investment TNZ makes in showcasing New Zealand's premium offering to luxury media like the Robb Report, more than pays off."

The Robb Report was established nearly 50 years ago in the USA and is now published in Arabia, Brazil, China, India, Kazakhstan, Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.

In May this year, Robb Report editors from North America were also hosted by TNZ on a luxury experience of New Zealand, as part of the 2014 Travel Classics Conference in Auckland.